NEW DELHI:The BCCI has shortlisted Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai as the venues for next year’s T20 World Cup, with the final set to be played in Ahmedabad.

It is learnt that the ICC will announce the full schedule for the February–March tournament next week. The event is expected to begin on February 7, with the final likely to be held on March 8. The tournament will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka, which will serve as a neutral venue for Pakistan as per an arrangement with India.

Three venues in Sri Lanka — Kandy and Colombo among them — will host matches, while the third venue is yet to be decided.

India will enter the home World Cup as the defending champion, having won the previous edition in Barbados in June last year. The five chosen venues in India are all Tier 1 cities. If Pakistan reaches the final, the summit clash will be played in Sri Lanka.